Block-molding machine



Mar. 13,1923.

N. w. HARTMAN BLOCK MOLDING MACHINE 4 shets-sheet l.

Filed Apr. 25

@NVE dw N T' 0 R. @Mmmm Mar. 13, 1923.

N. W. HARTMAN BLOCK MOLDING MACHINE Filed Apr.

25, 1921 4 sheets-sheet 2 INVNTOR.

Mar. 13,5 19123. 1,447,978l

' N. W. HARTMAN .BLOCK MOLDING MACHINE Filed Alun?. 25,-y 1921 4 sheets-sheen 4 Patented Mar. 13, 1h23.

' Lair milf"Fimlz- 1 NOBLE w. umarmen, or froLnDaonro, Assrenon rro man MULfrIrLnX conci-antre `Mii.Grtnern? COMPANY, or` nLIaoaE, OHIO, acon'ronA'rroN or c3110.!-

BLocK-raornnve imonline.

Application ned apra 25, 1921, sei-iaino-k4sa15a dent of Toledo, in the county of Lucas and 1 State of Ohio, have madel an InventionAppertaining toBlock-Molding Machines; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, andexact description of the in-l vention, such as will enable others skilled in the art towhich it -appertains to make and Y use the same, reference being had to the ac cornpanying drawings, and to the characters of reference k'marked thereon, which form a Ipart of this specilieation. e

This invention relates to machines of the class employed for making building blocks of concrete `and other plastic material.

An objectof my invention is "the provisionv of a new machine of this 'character which is semi-automatic'in its operation and adapted to mold concrete blocks and then eject them from the machine in a rapid and efcient er aspect, itis 4capablewof embodiment in numerous forms,a Apreferred embodiment thereof is illustrated inthe accompanying drawings, in which, f f i Y Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a machine em1 bodying the invention, with the parts in vat-res-t mold-filling position. Fig. 2 is a top View thereof with the tamping-mechanism removed. Fig. 3 is a fragmentary side elevation of the machine with parts broken away and in section, illustrating-the block ejecting `mechanism. Figs. l-v and 5 are side and end views of the crankshaft with which the tamping mechanism is vconnected. Fig.

f 6' isa vertical section centrally through thel rear drive crank shaft. with parts in full and parts removed. Fig. 7,-is a plan of the pallet `or off-bearing plate, and Fig. 8 is a face view of the block separating board.`

Referring to the` drawings, 1 designates the machine frame, which is provided on the top thereof -On one end with a mold-box 2 having a bottom frame 3 mov-able vertically therethrough and adapted to 4removably support a pallet oroff-bearingplate 4. The bottom frame comprises two laterally spaced-members 5 extending lengthwise of the machine, and two cross-bars 6, which latter are,supportedfbyjthe members 5 and extend crosswise 'of the machine. The vpallet i lengthwise of the i machine Ll'rests On the cross-bars' 61and is ofasize to lV. HARTMAN,

-movablyfit in the boX. The bottomv frame 3 is supported and has block ejectingiand return movementsV imparted' thereto by mech# anismlhereinafter described. The box 2 is adaptedto mold a time and is therefore provided with a center block separating board@ nvhfichffis adapted to looselyrest onthe'bott-om frame bars 6 between a pair Ofvpallets 4:. They cus-f` tomary cores l8` are provided ineach compartment of the moldibox and extendwdown y '60 i twojblock's at loosely through registering openings in the palletfi4 and through the .frame 3 fixed at their'lower ends to Ya respective 4stationary cross bar 8, which is bolted "to-the lower edges of the vboxy sides andie'xtends runder the frame bars 6.

Afcrank-shaft 9 is journaled crosswiseof the frame 1. inthe opposite end `portion thereof to the mold box, and carries `afliarge gear 10 loose thereon, which gear is 'inA mesh with and driven bya pinion 11 on a crossshaft 12 suitably j ournaled in the'frame andr carrying a belt pulley13 to adapt itgto be and. are f belted toy any suitable source Offpower.' l.

clutch-collar lawis-fleyedto the shaft'Qkat one end of the gear wheel hub' and-isjadapt-` ed to be engaged by 'a clutch-pin 15 carried'.

by thehub of the gear wheel 10 when such f pin is released for such purpose by'an outward radial movement of an;y associated tripblock 16. 'A trip 1,7 is carrie'dby aft'ripQ-rod -18' and adapted, when depressed again-st the tension of thespring 19,-to effect a tripping of the trip-block 16 and permit'the pin 15 to engage the yclutch-collar 114. This clutch mechanism is of the well known 'pin' `clutch type, and neednot, therefore, be specifically f 'i described. `The trip-rod 19 is` connectedby a link 2O to an arm 21 projecting laterally from a trip-shaftQQ, which ismounted-.in the baseportion of the frame lengthwise thereof, and carries ai foot pedal atthe moldingrend of'the'machine in convenient reach ofthe operator. y I The crank-shaft `9 has` cranks,` Wand 9b at opposite ends thereof, set ata right-.angle toeach other, andthe crankQ-a,isconnectedby a cenne'cting bar 24: toa crank 25a on the adjacent endof a crank-shaft 25,.whi'ch is jonrnaled crosswiseof the machine A*frame beneath thefmoldfbczgZ. A flhe-opposite-.end of the-'shaft 25.. is journaled in ak bracketarm 26 projecting from the opposite side of the machine frame, and is provided between said bracket arm and the adjacent side of the machine frame with a crank 25b and a crank 25C, the crank 25C being the same length and projecting in the same direction from the shaft ras the crank 25a, and the crank 25h being disposed at a right-angle to the two other cranks. The crank 25b is connected by a connecting bar 27 to the crank 9b of the shaft 9( The shaft 25 is driven from the shaft 9, and the purpose of relatively oit?v setting the cranks 9L and 9* and the cranks 25a and 25b is to prevent any dead center position occurring during a driving of one shaft by the other. The connection between the two shafts is such that a complete revolution of one will imparta complete revolution to the other.

The tamping means, which is driven by the shaft 25, comprises a yoke 28 of inverted U-form, which is adapted to straddle the mold box lwith its legs at the ends thereof, and each is connected by a link 29 to the respective cranks 25au and 25c of the shaft v25. The links 29 in the present instance in# stead of being connected directly to the legsv of the yoke, are connected to rods 30, which are mounted for longitudinal movements in the yoke legs and have cushion springs 3l disposed between their upper ends and a yoke shoulder. The yoke 28, when in inoperative position, is adapted to lie in reclining position at one side of the moldboX, as shown in F ig. l, and, upon a turning of the crank 25 from its at-rest position, in which position the cranks 25EL and 25C are upstanding, the yoke is swung upward into register with the mold-box, and then lowered to eect a tamping of material in the box.

This occurs during the down stroke of the cranks 25L and 25C, and upon the up stroke of such cranks the tamping yoke is raised and then swung forward t'o its reclining` position'. Each leg of the yoke is provided at its lower free end with apair of laterally spaced rollers 32which engage opposite sides of an inverted L-shaped guide 33, one of which is secured to each side of the frame l below therespective side of the mold-box. The yoke, during its swinging movements, is supported and guided by a roller 34 carried by each leg thereof, resting-and traveling on a curved track 35 provided on each side of the mold-bok, and when the yoke has moved to vertical position in tamping register with the mold-box, the rollers strike stop plates 36 and stand in `register with a vertical space 37 between the inner ends of the track bars 35 and stops' 36 to permit a lowering of the yoke. It is evident that the bars 30 extend downbeyond the fulcrum or turning axis of the yoke so that a downward pull exerted on the outer ends of said bars when the yoke is in 'reifi/aveva clining position, will tilt the yoke upward to vertical position, the tilting movement being guided by the coaction of the rollers 32'with the guide 33, and ofthe rollers 34 with the guide tracks ries a tamping plate 38 at its upper end portion for tamping coaction with material in the mold boX when the yoke is lowered. The bottom frame 3 of the mold box has Y supports 39 extending down from its cross bars 5 and resting at their lower ends on the peripheries ofcams 40 carried by the shaft 25. These `cams are so fashioned as to effect a slight gradual raising of the bottom frame 3 during a down tamping stroke of the yoke 28 so that a compressing action will be imparted both to the top and bottom surfaces of material disposed in the mold box.

he block ejecting means comprises a cam-wheel 41" loosely mounted on'the. shaft 9 and adapted lto be clutch connected to the gear wheel l0 to turn therewith, and acts on one end of a lever42 to impart vertical rocking movements theretolever is fulcrumed on across shaft 43 of the frame and has its forward end forked and connected by separate links 44 to each cross member 5 of the mold-box bottom framek It is thus evident that a 4lowering of the cam-wheel coacting end of the lever 42 will effect a raising of the bottom frame 3 to raise molded blocks carried thereby to discharging position above the mold box. The lever 42 has a roller 45 in coaction with' the periphery of the cam-wheel 41,y and the form of the wheel is such that substantially a quarter turn thereof from the rest position shown in Fig. 3 will impart a complete ejecting` stroke to the lever 42.`

The gear wheel 10 hasa clutch pin 46 adapted, when released,to move into clutch enga-gement with the hub end of the cam wheel 4l'. in the ordinary manner of a in clutch. The pin 46 is normally held in released position by a trip block 47 and this is released by the depression of a trip 48 in a manner well understood in the art. rl'he trip 48 is normally held out of tripping en- 49. The lower end of the trip 48 is con- This nected by a link 50 to a lever 5l which eX- c tends lengthwise of the machine, being fulcrumed at one end to the machine frame and having its other end carrying an upstand-y ing rocker arm with a ltrip-finger 53 'at its upper end. The upper end portion of the arm 52 is connected by a link 54 to vertically disposed lever 55 that is ful crumed to a bracket 56 on the frame and has in position to be engaged and depressed by' l vin its reclining position as shown in Fig. 1,

material in the' box.

' `wheel 41.

so that the tamping yoke when lowered to such position 'de'presses ythe rocker-arm 52 Vand lever 51 and imparts a tripping movement to the trip 4S to permit an engagement of the clutch pin 46 with the coacting clutch portion of the cam wheel 41. lV'hen the cam-wheel 41 is turned from itsgat-rest position, the roller 57 isrmovedoutward yfrom thel registering entrant cam portion there-of, thereby rocking 'the lever 55 and effecting 'a withdrawal'of the rocker arm 52 and trip finger '53 from'engagement with the tamping-yoke so that ay turning of the cam-wheel 11 will be stopped at 'the end` of a complete revolution. f Y

Inthe operationl of the machine it will be understood'that when the parts thereof are at rest theV tamping-yoke 28 -will stand in its reclining position as sho-wn lin Fig. 1 and the bottom frame 3 of the mold box and operating' parts therefore will stand inthe full line position shown ,in Fig. 3 so that the mold box is in condition for filling. A 'desired quantity vof `material having been deposited' in the mold boxin any suitable manner, thel operator depresses r4the trippedal 23, which releases the clutchpin 15 and causes a single yrevolution to be imparted to the crank shaft 9, which in turn imparts a single revolution to 'the crank shaft 25. IDuring the first half offa revolu- 'tion of the crank-shaft 25 thetaniping-yoke 28 is swung upward into vertical register with the mold box and then drawn downward int-o 'tamping relation -to the material in the box, and during the second half of the revolution of the crank shaft the tamping-yoke is 'raised and then'swung to its'reclining position. The swinging movement of the ramping-yoke is guided by the vcircular tracks and angled'guide bar 83 in engagement respectively with the rolls 34C and 32. The yoke is'st-opped in its upright position by engagement of 'the rolls 34' with the stopy plates 36 land is `then permitted to have vertical movement. During the tamping stroke of the yoke 2S the cams L10 carried by the shaft act on the members 39 to effect a slight raising of the bottom frame 3 of the mold box and palletst to effect a compression'of the bottom portion kof the When the tamping yoke 2S swings forward after a tamping operation, a part thereof 'will strike the'tri'p finger .5S-and effect a depression of the'arm 52, lever 51 and trip 48 to :release Y'theclutch pin i6 on the continuously driven 'gear wheel 10 and permit/'its vengagement with the Cam The cam wheel is 'then given a complete revolution which causes the ejecting lever in engagement therewith, to be rocked and `effect a 'raisingv of the frame 4i and molding blocks to discharging position ters Patent, is,-

lat the top of the mold box,theloo'ttom` frame y being held in elevated position during the 'time that the-:cam wheel is making more than Vhalf' a revolution,`which period is Vample to permit a removal `ofthemjolded blocks and pallets on which they` rest from the v`frame `3.

As the foam wheel 111 starts its" revolution it acts on the lever to effect a retraction of the arm 52 and trip finger 53 from-engage-l ment with 'the tamping yoke so thattlie as .sociated clutch'fis released at thel end of "a revolution. l p

The raising -of the molded blocks above 'the topv of the mold boX enables the blocks to be drawn away from the center board :7 laterally thereof in a horizontal plane so lthat if the centerboard is fashioned to mold an imitation rock face on the blocks, such face will not be injured Abythe "removal process. fl

Having thus described'mv invention, vwhat I claim as new and desire tosecureby Letv- 1.' Ina machine of the yclass described, a mold boX, a ta'inping yoke straddlingthe -boX and capable of swinging and vertical movements relative thereto, means operable by continued movements thereof in the same direction to ysuccessively swing lthe 4yoke from inoperative to operative position with. respect to the bo'X, then impart a lowering `tam-ping movement thereto, and lthen raise the yoke `and swing it' to finoperativeposition, and `means cooperating with the leg portionsjofthe yoke to guide the swinging and verticalV movements thereof.

2. In an apparatus vof the class described,

a mold boX, a crank shaft, means operable to rotate `thecrank shaft in one direction only, a 4tamplng 'yoke straddling the boX and movable "with'respect to lthe box, means connecting the yoke and crank and operable by a rotation of thec'rank'to swing the yoke from inoperative to operative relation to the box, then impart' a loweringI tampingfmove- 'ment thereto, and then raise "the lyoke and return it tov normal tilted position, and

,means cooperating with the yoke to guide its movement. 3. In an apparatus 'a moldbox, a tainping yoke straddlingjthe box/and mounted for swinging'and vertical movements relative'the'r'eto, means guiding the movements of the yoke, 'andmea'ns 1nclnding a crankshaft rotatable in onedirec- `tion/only and' connected to the'yoke, said last vmeans being operable at each revolution of the ycrank shaft tos'w-i'ng vthe yoke'to a posi` tion over ythe box, "then lower and raise' Iit 'with respeetito'th'efbox, and thenswiag it back to its former "position 'y l 4911i 'anfappa'ratus of the class described, y

a inoldb'ok, `tamping yoke l mounted for inoveinent's, relative thereto, ya crank shaft,

yielding connection between the crank shaft the class described',

vand legs of the tamping yoke to successively swing the yoke over the box from inoperative position at the side thereof, then lower v,and raise it V,with respect to the box,.and

swing it from over the box to inoperative position, means :for rotating the crank shaft, and' ymeans guiding the movements of the yoke. y

5. In an apparatus of the class described, a frame, a mold box carried thereby, a tamping yoke straddling the box for swinging and vertical movements relative thereto, a

pair of laterally spaced rolls carried by the Alower and raise the yoke, and then swing it back to original position.

6. In a 'machine of the class described, a mold box, a movable bottom memberiior the box, a tamping yoke mounted for swinging and vertical movements relative to the box, andmeans operable to impart a slight upwardk block tamping movement to the bottom member and `simultaneously therewith to swing the tamping yoke to a position over the box, and then lower and raise it and return it to original position. 1 v

7. In a machine of the class described, a mold box, a movable bottom closure member for the box, a tamping yoke mounted for swinging and vertical movements relative to the box, a crank shaft, means operable to impart a single revolution to the shaft, and then to stop the same, connection between the crank shaft and yokey operable to swing the yoke to operative tamping position over the box from inoperative position at one side thereof, andy then lower and raise the yoke` and swing it back to inoperative position, and means operable to impart a predetermined tamping movement to the bottom member during a tamping stroke of the yoke and' its movement ,from inoperative to operative positions.

8. In `an apparatus of the class described, a mold box having a lvertically movable bottom, a continuously operating drive means, means in normally released clutch connection with the drive means and operable by lthe latter when in clutch connectionA therewith to effect a tamping ofmaterial in the box, said tamping means having a tamping member which is automatically movable into and out of tamping relation to the box,

Leraars means operable to raise the box bottom and then to lower the same, and normally released clutch means between the drivevmeans and box bottom moving means automatically operable by and when the tamping means is at a predetermined point in its movement to effect an operation of the bottom moving mea/11S.

9. In an apparatus of the class described, a mold box having a vertically movable bottom, a continuously operating drive means, a tamping means operable by connection with the drive means to tamp material in the box, manually controlled normally released clutch means between the drive and tamping means automatically operabley to release the tamping means at a predetermined point in its movement, a cam wheel, connection between said cam wheel and box .bottom for imparting vertical ejecting and retracting movements to the bottom when the wheel is rotated, a normally released clutch connection between the wheel and drive means, and means operable by the tamping means during the last portion of its movement to release the cam wheel connecting clutch to permit a single revolution of the cam wheel.

10. In an apparatus of the class described,

a mold box having a vertically movable bottom, a continuously operative drive means,

clutch connection between the wheel andk drive means, control means for the wheel clutch connection having a member normally standing in the path of movement of a part of the tamping means, whereby the part, when at a predetermined point in its movement, operates the clutch control to permit a clutch engagement of the drive means and wheel, and means operable by the cam wheel to move the clutch control out of position to be tripped by the tamping means when the cam wheel is turned from at-rest position.

1l. In an apparat-us of the class described, a mold box having a vertically movable bottom, a center board supported by the bottom and dividing the box into two compartments, the center board having a face for forming irregular surfaces on a side of a block molded by the box, and means operable to raise the bottom and center board together above the box to permit the lateral removal of a formed block-from the center board.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto signed my name to this specification.

NOBLE w. HARTMAN. 

